Overview
- Nikkei 225 rose for a second day on Dec. 26, closing up 342.60 at 50,750.39 after an intraday jump above 50,900.
- Topix set an intraday record as gains broadened, with rebounds in Fast Retailing and SoftBank helping the index advance.
- The dollar traded around ¥156 through Dec. 25–26, including ¥156.36–38 in late Tokyo trading on Friday.
- Weaker yen supported steel and electronics shares, while a Tokyo inflation reading that did not point to earlier BOJ tightening and concerns over the ¥122 trillion FY2026 budget added to yen selling.
- Holiday-thinned participation kept trading cautious in Tokyo, and a speech by BOJ Governor Kazuo Ueda was seen as offering no new signals as U.S. stocks later slipped on profit-taking.